Trump has been accorded messiah status by some of his followers. Voltaire would disagree.
Tag Archives: Candide
Candide on Trump as God’s Messenger
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Evengelical Trump supporters, Trump assassination attempt, Voltaire Comments closed
Candide and the Deep State
Members of the MAGA cult resemble the Baron of Thunder-ten-Tronckh in “Candide.”
Haitian Earthquake Redux
No poet can do justice to a disaster such as befell Haiti this past week. Voltaire and Karl Shapiro, however, have works that operate as a response.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Auto Wreck", earthquakes, Haiti earthquake, Karl Shapiro, Voltaire Comments closed
Will Trump Pay? Literature Is Unsure
Will Trump escape all accountability? Literature weighs in.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Beggar's Opera, Bertolt Brecht, Dante, Donald Trump, Henry Fielding, impeachment hearings, Importance of Being Earnest, Inferno, John Gay, Oscar Wilde, Threepenny Opera, Tom Jones, Voltaire Comments closed
GOP Bailout: Nothing If Not Consistent
GOP obsession with lining the pockets of the wealthy, now on display in their COVID bailout package, reminds me of the Baron in Voltaire’s “Candide.”
Jigsaw Order Out of Chaos
As one who specializes in 18th century British lit, I’m fascinated with how jigsaw puzzles represent order arising from chaos.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Alexander Pope, jigsaw puzzles, Jonathan Swift, Moonstone, Voltaire, Wilkie Collins Comments closed
Candide & the GOP’s Tax Obsession
The GOP’s obsession with tax cuts reminds me of the Baron’s obsession with his lineage in Voltaire’s “Candide.” No matter how much reality changes, he always insists on this one thing.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged deficit spending, GOP, Mitch McConnell, tax cuts, Voltaire Comments closed
Why Christie Aides Targeted Sokolich
Why did Chris Christie aides target Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich and close down access lanes to the George Washington Bridge? Voltaire has the answer.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Bridgegate, Bridget Kelly, Chris Christie, Fort Lee, George Washington Bridge, Mark Sokolich, politics, scandal, Voltaire Comments closed
Responding to Unspeakable Horror
No work of literature can begin to address the trauma that Haitians are currently experiencing in the wake of their devastating earthquake. But then, literature can never do justice to human tragedy. In the face of such inexpressible suffering, the poet gropes around in the dark, occasionally making utterances that some, in their agony, find […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Auto Wreck", Haiti earthquake, Karl Shapiro, Suffering, Voltaire Comments closed
